Innovation Cluster for Entrepreneurship Education

This report presents the results from the project “Innovation Cluster for Entrepreneurship Education”, which focused on the mini-company method. Mini-companies combine practical and theoretical learning and stimulate collaboration between school and working life.

The main objective of the project was to analyse the impact of entrepreneurship education and understand what is needed to reach the European goal, which is that every young person should have a practical entrepreneurial experience before leaving school. The research tested what the scenario looks like at 50% penetration among students between 15 and 20 years old and carry out a 27-month field trial using the JA Company Programme in twenty schools (academic as well as vocational) across the five countries.

Some of the project recommendations are listed below:

• Schools must allow for «enough» time to work on the Company Programme, and students themselves must make an extra effort after school.
• The teachers need to be given proper access to entrepreneurship education and training in the use of Company Programme or similar programmes. It is also necessary that the teachers receive enough time allotted for teaching and that they are encouraged to work together in teams.
• Strong links should be established between regional business networks, mentors, schools and JA organisations or similar organisations, to further entrepreneurship education
•  The Ministries of Education should continue their work on educational reforms adopting a more competence-oriented approach to learning.

This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.